Groups file lawsuit over mine near Starved Rock

SPRINGFIELD (AP) — Three environmental groups have filed a lawsuit claiming the Illinois Department of Natural Resources granted a permit for a sand mind planned for land adjacent to Starved Rock State Park without fully considering its effects.

The Sierra Club, Prairie Rivers Network and Openlands said Wednesday that the lawsuit was filed in Springfield.

The DNR in November granted a permit to Mississippi Sand LLC for the 80-acre open-pit mine. The mine still needs a permit from the state Environmental Protection Agency.

The suit claims the DNR failed to follow its own guidelines in considering the mine's effects on vegetation, fish and wildlife, land values, air and water pollution and the local economy.

DNR spokesman Chris McCloud said the department hadn't yet reviewed the lawsuit and declined further comment.